This year’s PSV Testing Week is set to kick off the IRTE Skills Challenge from 1 to 3 June with tasks focused on both EV and diesel vehicles, electrical fault diagnostics, brake systems, and more, offering a wide range of practical challenges for competitors across the passenger transport engineering sector.
This year’s PSV Testing Week is set to kick off the IRTE Skills Challenge from 1 to 3 June with tasks focused on both EV and diesel vehicles, electrical fault diagnostics, brake systems, and more, offering a wide range of practical challenges for competitors across the passenger transport engineering sector.
Held at S&B Automotive Academy in Bristol, the PSV Testing Week brings together some of the UK’s top road transport engineering apprentices, technicians, and transport operators, to celebrate excellence and support skills development.
PSV Testing Week 2026
Companies including Reading Buses, First Bus London, Lothian, Go Ahead London, and more will send competitors to take part in a series of hands-on tasks designed to reflect real-world maintenance and engineering scenarios faced across the industry.
Competitors will complete challenges covering a range of disciplines, on both EV and diesel vehicles, diagnosing electrical faults, brake systems, vehicle inspection procedures, and other essential maintenance and engineering competencies.
The event aims to showcase the expertise required to keep the UK’s passenger transport fleet safe, efficient, and future-ready.
Industry support and commitment to skills development
Delivered by the Institute of Road Transport Engineering (IRTE), the event is made possible thanks to the support of our sponsors and venue partners.
Following the announcement of Pelican Engineering Group as headline sponsor, we are also excited to announce a further group of sponsors supporting this year’s Skills Challenge: Disc-Lock, febi Truck, GTG Engineering and Imperial Engineering.
SOE Chief Executive Emma Thompson thanked all the sponsors and partners who support the Challenge, allowing it to grow each year.
“It’s great to see so much enthusiastic support from across the industry, helping to create opportunities for skills development, knowledge sharing, and recognition of engineering excellence,” she said.
This year’s sponsor cohort reflects a strong cross-section of industry organisations committed to developing skills and supporting technical excellence across the sector.
GTG Engineering Direct Garret Grant said they decided to support this year’s IRTE Skills Challenge as they feel strongly about investing in the next generation of engineers and technicians.
“The industry depends on skilled professionals, and initiatives like this play a vital role in encouraging talent, developing confidence, and showcasing the high standards required within commercial vehicle engineering,” he said.
“It’s important to recognise technical excellence in this way because the skills involved in maintaining and repairing modern fleets are becoming increasingly advanced and safety-critical.”
febi Truck UK Truck Sales Manager Shaun Evans said they were pleased to join the event again in 2026.
“We believe that the industry needs events like this to set a benchmark and showcase the talent within both the PSV and CV sectors,” he said.
“As a supplier of OE Matching Quality Aftermarket components, we believe strong training and challenges such at this allows the industry as a whole to set the highest standards going forward.”
Disc-Lock Managing Director Tim Stokes highlighted the importance of industry backing for initiatives like the Skills Challenge.
“It’s very important that companies like Disc-Lock support the Skills Challenge initiative since it helps nurture the next generation of engineers within the Road Transport industry,” he said.
“The Disc-Lock Safety Wheel Nut helps save lives and although very easy to install, it’s important that young people who may be new to the industry understand how and why it works.”
For Imperial Engineering Sales Director John Dwight said they were proud to continue their long-standing support of the IRTE Skills Challenge which, for well over a decade, has shone a light on the crucial importance of developing technical skills to ensure the successful evolution of our sector.”
Their Technical Sales Manager John Simmons added that the IRTE Skills Challenge has become the recognised showcase for skilled individuals working in the bus, coach, and HGV sectors.
“It is more than a competition because it underpins the importance of training and professionalism, that reflects the transition to full electrification in the coming years,” he said.
“We need the technicians and engineers to support these vehicles, so the importance of this initiative to our industry’s future cannot be overstated.”
More about the 2026 IRTE Skills Challenge
Key dates:
PSV Skills Testing Week (1 - 3 June 2026): Where competitors from the PSV Sector around the country take on the challenge at S&B Automotive Academy in Bristol.
HGV Skills Testing Week (20 - 21 August 2026): Where competitors from the HGV Sector around the country take on the challenge at DAF's Apprentice Academy, Nottingham. Competitor registrations are now open: Register here.
IRTE Skills Challenge Awards Lunch (September 2026): Competitors, operators, press and sponsors come together to celebrate the winners.
Click here to read more about the IRTE Skills Challenge.